“An exhibition full of hope”: Palestinian children share their stories with drawings after Israeli attacks | Israel Palestine

“A group of children have expressed the hope that lives within them. There are children who want nothing more than to return to their homes,” said Nevin Hadi, Director of Mental Health Services at PRCS. “Another group of children express through their drawings the intense bombings that occurred while they were in their homes and how many family members they lost.”

The main purpose of the exhibition is to provide children with an outlet to express their emotions. Hadi emphasizes the importance of such initiatives in the processing process. “The drawings are a way to talk about the terrible things these children have experienced and are still in the middle of. This way we create a little hope,” she adds.

Although the drawings on display were made recently, they are a reminder of the long-standing suffering of Palestinian children who grew up under the Israeli occupation. The psychological consequences of war violence on children are of great concern to various organizations.

“The ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip exposes children not only to physical danger, but also to unimaginable emotional and psychological damage that will be felt for generations. Before this nightmare started, 800,000 children in Gaza – that is 3 out of 4 children – were already in need of psychosocial help,” UNICEF warns.

In two months, the Israeli army’s bombing in Gaza has killed 17,700 people, about two-thirds of whom are women and children. This was announced by the Hamas Ministry of Health. There are 48,780 injured.